Top 10 Women in Business a success

On Thursday, March 23, The Queens Courier and Queens Business Today honored the enormous contributions women have made to business in the borough of Queens at the 4th Annual Queens Top Ten Women In Business event held at Terrace on the Park.
“Queens once again proved it’s a borough of powerful women,” Courier Publisher Victoria Schneps-Yunis said. “It was an awesome sight to see a crowd of 700 people there to pay tribute to these women in recognition of their many accomplishments.
Karen Hepp, weekend anchorwoman for Fox 5 news, served as the Master of Ceremonies. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg was on hand to accept the Best Man of the Year Award and to give out city proclamations to the honorees.
Citations and proclamations were issued to all the award recipients.
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn received the Woman of the Year Award followed by Helen Marshall who received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Nancy Littlefield of Queens Public Television (QPTV) received the Artist of the Year Award presented by former Borough President Claire Shulman. Littlefield has received countless awards for her work on various QPTV productions including an Emmy and a Big Apple Award for Excellence.
Doris Fogle, a lifetime volunteer and active member of the team at Elmhurst Hospital, received the Pioneer Award. The Volunteer of the Year award was given to Ann Jawin, founder of the Center for the Women of New York, a non-profit organization that advocates for women.
“I was very pleased to receive the award,” said Jawin. “I always emphasize the importance of women having a strong financial base to be successful and I think the dinner really promoted that.”
The Commerce WOW Award went to Gail Mellow, President LaGuardia Community College and the health care Leader of the Year Award was presented to Lourdes Hernandez, Administrative Director of Queens Medical Associates. Hernandez is also the founder of HOMNY, Hematology-Oncology Managers of New York.
Hoong Yee Lee Krakauer, Executive Director of the Queens Council on the Arts, received the Cultural Leader of the Year Award presented by the Borough President. The Government Leader of the Year Award was given to Dorothy Lewandowski, Queens Parks Commissioner and Anna M. Piacentini of Flushing Savings Bank, received the Business Leader of the Year Award.
The Top Ten Women in Business Awards were given to Georgiana Reese, Queens County Savings Bank; Jasmin Moshirpur, M.D., Dean of the Elmhurst and Queens programs of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Regional Medical Director of Queens Health Network; Judy Trilivas, Associate Chief Operating Officer of Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens; Marie Cutrone Smith, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Con Edison; Jeanine Aquino, Chief Operating Officer at the New Parkway Hospital; Mary Jane Gigatti, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Parker Jewish Institute; Patricia Mahecha, Vice President of Abetex Int’l Brokers and founder of Modelamos Talent Agency and School; Philippa Lee Karteron, Administrator with the NYC Department of Small Business Services; Stacy Morgan, Queens Area Operations Manager for Verizon, and Vicki Ellner, Director of Marketing for Family Care Certified Services/Brooklyn and Queens.
A silent auction was held throughout the event to raise funds for the Hospice Care Network. A&S Whitestone Florist and Garden Center donated all flowers and All Night Long DJ provided the music.
Sponsors included Bombardier, Citibank, Commerce Bank, Con Edison, Family Care Certified Services, Farrell Fritz, P.C., Flushing Savings Bank, Mount Sinai Hospital of Queens, New York Community Bank/ Queens County Savings Bank, Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care & Rehabilitation, The New Parkway Hospital, Queens & Elmhurst Hospital Centers, The Queens Health Network, Queens Business Today, Queens Medical Associates, Townsend Glass, Verizon, CUNY, and the Bank of New York.